On the night from January 6th to 7th, Orthodox Christians in Russia celebrate feast of the Nativity of Christ. As you know, in our country the church at the beginning of the 20th century did not switch from the Julian calendar to the new Gregorian calendar, as a result of which the calendar differs by 13 days from the calendar used by other Christians. Christmas, as a holiday in Russia, differs significantly from its counterpart in the rest of the Christian world.
Initially, the Christmas holidays were associated with many folk customs, but they were forgotten after the celebration of Christmas was banned in 1918. Only in 1935 did the Soviet government again allow the installation and decoration of Christmas trees - although not Christmas trees, but New Year's ones. And the stars on the top of the spruce became five-pointed in the Soviet style. And earlier the stars were seven-pointed and symbolized the very star that, according to the Gospel, led the Magi to the newly born baby Christ. Approximately the same thing happened with the holidays - New Year and Christmas.
If before 1918 Christmas was celebrated everywhere, and New Year was a much less significant holiday, then under Soviet rule they swapped places. The Soviet Union turned out to be the only country in the world where the New Year absorbed Christmas attributes, while remaining a completely Soviet holiday. And after the fragmentation of the Soviet Union, a reverse transformation did not occur - the New Year remained traditional family holiday, while only part of the country’s population, mainly Orthodox believers, began to celebrate Christmas. IN recent years However, more and more people attend church on Christmas holidays, remembering the religious meaning of the holiday. Today, most believers in Russia celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the old Julian calendar.
Calendar of winter Christian holidays
Nativity Fast - from November 28, 2012 to January 6, 2013
(also at the end of 2013 - beginning of 2014: from November 28, 2013 to January 6, 2014)
From November 28 to January 1 inclusive - non-strict.
From January 2 to January 6 – strict.
January 1, 2013 – January 6 – continuation of the Nativity Fast.
On Mondays, food without oil. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, food with butter. Fish is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. On Wednesdays and Fridays, dry food: bread, raw vegetables and fruits.
Further until January 5, 2013 inclusive: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays dry food (bread, vegetables, fruits), on Tuesdays and Thursdays food without oil, on Saturdays and Sundays food with oil.
January 6 – Eve of the Nativity of Christ (eve, Christmas Eve)
On Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians maintain the pious custom of not eating anything until the first evening star, reminiscent of the appearance of a star in the east, which announced the birth of Jesus Christ. According to the Church Charter, on Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians are instructed to eat juice.
In Russia, Christmas Eve, January 6, is called Christmas Eve, Kolyada. This day is the final day of the Nativity Fast. Until the evening service, the church orders strict fasting, and those at war should be reconciled. Christmas Eve in the Christian world is considered a family dinner.
The name comes from the word “sochivo” (originally wheat grains soaked in water). Sochivom or kutya (prepared from grains of wheat or barley with the addition of honey, as well as often nuts, raisins, poppy seeds, dried fruits), according to the instructions of the church, Christians should eat on this day.
In the old days, “sochivo” it was prepared from almond or poppy “milk” mixed with honey and cereal porridge (wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, peas, and later even rice). Nuts or poppy seeds were added to this porridge. This dish began the meal on both Christmas and Epiphany Christmas Eve, at other important events - christenings, funerals. A similar porridge, slightly different in composition, called “kutya,” was also cooked at funerals, christenings, and at the birth of a child, but it was no longer always lean. So, on the second day after Christmas Eve they prepared “grandmother’s” kutya - “rich”.
In the old days, the table was sprinkled with hay, a tablecloth was laid out, a dish with juice and other dishes, of which there should have been exactly twelve (according to the number of the apostles), were placed in the center of the table. In addition to sochiv, the festive Russian table included pancakes, aspic, fish, jelly, suckling pig with porridge, roast, carols, honey gingerbread, infusions - according to the family’s capabilities. On Christmas Eve, before Christmas, they did not eat all day until the appearance of the first evening star, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, which once led the Magi to the cradle of the infant Christ. In churches during these festive evening hours there was a solemn service... Despite the church origin of the holiday, the custom of caroling has been preserved in Rus' - singing carols under the windows
The word Kolyada is of pagan origin. Kolyada symbolized the worship of the Sun, which gives fertility and joy; in carol songs they sang about natural phenomena - the month, the sun, a thunderstorm, they wished for a harvest, happy marriages.
January 7 – Christmas
Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Old Style holiday on January 7th.
The tradition of celebrating Christmastide goes back to such ancient times. Favorite folk entertainment on Christmastide - dress up and sing carols. In Rus', young people gathered together on Christmas Eve, changed clothes and went caroling around the village or city. The mummers entered one by one each hut where the light was on. Teenagers and children sang the Christmas troparion, spiritual songs, and carols. The owners received guests and gave whatever they could.
It is extremely difficult to establish where the word “kolyada” itself came from. In different parts of Russia this word has different meanings. In the north it is simply “Christmas Eve”, in the villages of the Novgorod region “kolyada” is gifts received at Christmas. In Belarus, “caroling” means “glorifying Christ.” But ethnographic scientists believe that the ancient Slavs used this word to call the winter solstice holiday.
Christmastide has always been a national holiday, at this time class boundaries seemed to disappear, everyone was united by a common joy.
January 14 – Circumcision of the Lord. New Year according to the old style.
Evidence of the celebration of the Circumcision of the Lord in the Eastern Church dates back to the 4th century. On the eighth day after his Nativity, Jesus Christ, according to the Old Testament law, accepted circumcision, established for all male infants as a sign of the Covenant of God with the forefather Abraham and his descendants.
In Russia, the date of the Circumcision of the Lord is widely known in a secular context as the “Old New Year”, since until 1918 it coincided with the beginning of the new year (the so-called civil new year).
January 17 - Feklistov Day (in memory of St. Theoktistos)
famous for its most bizarre Christmas fortune-telling. “Saint Feklist is a talker of fortune telling,” says the saying. According to popular belief, on this day it was necessary to sew a thistle into an amulet and wear it around the neck, near the cross - to protect against damage and help wanderers.
January 18 - Eve of the Epiphany of the Lord (Epiphany Christmas Eve)
The day before the feast of the Epiphany. On this day, believers prepare themselves to accept Agiasma - baptismal holy water for purification and sanctification at the upcoming holiday.
On Christmas Eve, on the eve of the feast of Epiphany, one is supposed to fast before partaking of holy water; the meal is prescribed once, after the Divine Liturgy. According to the Church Charter, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, Orthodox Christians are instructed to eat juice.
By folk beliefs, the eve of Epiphany (evening of January 18), the famous “Epiphany evening”, is a time of rampant evil spirits. She tries to sneak into the house as a werewolf - in any guise. To protect the home from evil spirits entering the house, they put the signs of the cross on all doors and window frames with chalk, which is considered a reliable protection against everything demonic. If you don't put a cross on the door on Epiphany Eve, you'll be in trouble, they thought in the old days.
January 19 – Epiphany (Holy Epiphany) is a Christian holiday celebrated in honor of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. During baptism, according to the Gospels, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. At the same time, a Voice from Heaven declared: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
On the feast of Epiphany or Epiphany, water is blessed. Sometimes the consecration is carried out directly on reservoirs in specially made ice holes, which are called “Jordan”, in memory of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. There is also a tradition of swimming in these ice holes.
January 26 is Tatiana's day. Memorial Day of the Great Martyr Tatiana.
On January 12, 1755, on the day of memory of the Great Martyr Tatiana, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna signed a decree on the founding of Moscow University “for the common glory of the Fatherland.” Count Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov, the future curator of the university, deliberately submitted this petition to her on the name day of his mother, Tatyana Shuvalova. Thus was born the famous holiday of Moscow, and then of all Russian students - Tatyana's Day.
National holidays, Orthodox holidays, Christian holidays, Church holidays- holidays of the Russian people associated with widespread folk traditions their conduct and customs of the Russian people.
As a rule, folk Orthodox holidays are accompanied by cheerful and wide folk festivals, songs, round dances and various fortune-telling, youth gatherings and bridesmaid viewings. But there are also days where there is no place for fun - these are days of honoring deceased relatives and loved ones, as well as holidays where spirits and deities were venerated.
The adoption of Christianity meant the beginning of a new era in the life of Rus'. By this time, pagan Rus' possessed not only significant agricultural experience, knowledge of the laws of nature and human life, but also a fairly representative pantheon of pagan gods, a system of rituals, beliefs, and oral folk art.
Struggling with previous beliefs, Christianity unwittingly retained a glimpse of pagan antiquity in its rituals. It is obviously no coincidence that many Christian holidays coincide with pagan ones. Thus, Christmas naturally merged for many with the celebration of the pagan deity of celebrations and peace, Kolyada. And no one is surprised these days that on Christmas night, children and young people dressed up go from house to house and sing carols - they wish their owners happiness and goodness, and receive gifts.
Many Christian rituals come directly from ancient Slavic holidays. Slavic and agricultural holidays constituted the main time of rest after burdensome work. All these holidays were based on the beliefs and morals of our ancestors and many holidays are celebrated to this day. And even the brightest holiday of Easter incorporated the pagan Radunitsa - a day of remembrance for the dead, when departed relatives and friends are remembered with food, which is not accepted in Christianity.
Few people know now that in the old days our ancestors celebrated the New Year on March 1, and then on September 1, and only since 1700, by decree of Emperor Peter I, it was ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1.
We have no right not to remember our past and we will try, albeit briefly, selectively, to talk about folk Orthodox holidays.
Holidays of the Russian people
Holidays of the Russian people: Folk holidays, Orthodox holidays, Church holidays, Christian holidays.
Forgiveness resurrection. The last day of Maslenitsa week. People also called it “farewell”, in connection with the ritual of seeing off Maslenitsa, as well as “forgiveness day” and “kissing”, according to the peculiarities of the ritual of mutual forgiveness of sins and insults, which in the popular consciousness was interpreted as cleansing. The effect of forgiveness of sins extended not only to living, but also to deceased relatives: on the eve of Forgiveness Sunday, peasants visited graves and made three bows asking their ancestors for forgiveness. In some places, a ritual aimed at ensuring the flax harvest was timed to coincide with this day: married women Before the start of the church service, they drove around the village three times, covering their heads with scarves.
Sredokrestye, Sredopostye. Wednesday or Thursday in the fourth, Veneration of the Cross, week of Lent. Sredokrestye marked the middle of Lent. On this day, cross-shaped cookies were baked from unleavened or sour dough, which they ate themselves, fed to livestock, and placed in grain prepared for sowing. In the Ryazan Province, during the week of the cross, they “called summer”: they put donuts on pitchforks, climbed onto the roofs and called summer. The peasants released birds from their cages, thereby freeing the vital forces of nature from winter captivity.
Radunitsa. One of the most important days of remembrance of the dead, dedicated to Easter. Rainbow is celebrated most often on the tenth day after Easter - on Tuesday after the end of Bright Week; less often - on Fomino Sunday or Monday. On Tuesday of St. Thomas Week, after the liturgy, a universal memorial service was held in churches, at the end of which the peasant families went to the cemetery to “treat their parents’ darlings” and “to celebrate Christ with their relatives.” Family meals were held in cemeteries, inviting the dead to join in the treat, believing that on this day they were breaking their fast after Lent. Must have been left on graves easter eggs, burying them near the cross, laying them on the ground whole or crumbled. Despite its memorial nature, Radunitsa was considered a joyful holiday. Therefore, in some places peasants feasted on graves with songs and even dances. The spring commemoration of the dead goes back to the cult of ancestors and is associated with the desire to ensure their protection in agricultural work.
Memorial Day of the Apostle Mark noted . The Russian peasant correlated this holiday with his labor concerns and the weather calendar. Birds usually flew to Mark in flocks. “If little birds fly to a hemp field, there will be a hemp harvest”, “A small rain pollutes, but a large rain cleanses.” The holy apostle was popularly called the “key holder”: they believed that he owned the keys to the rains. They always fervently prayed for Mark and asked for strong rain, since it was at this time that it was necessary to thoroughly “shed” the earth and saturate it with moisture. They said: “If three good rains fall in May, then there will be enough grain for three years.” On this day, in many Russian provinces they began to sow Tatarka (buckwheat).
Winter holidays of the ancient SlavsWe are all accustomed to the fact that New Year is a winter holiday. But this holiday was not always winter. Peter I made it “winter”. And our ancestors celebrated the New Year in the spring. But, despite this, our Slavic ancestors had a lot of ritual festivities and holidays associated with winter. The gods of the Slavic pantheon were famous by our ancestors during this period. What winter holidays did our ancestors celebrate? What traditions of the New Year holidays have survived to this day, and how is it customary to celebrate new year holidays according to Slavic rituals and traditions? Interesting?!
From time immemorial, the Slavs worshiped the spirits of nature, because believed that man is an integral part of it. Slavism is the veneration of the clan, the ancestors, or as we used to call them now, ancestors, which was important for the creation of tribal memory and family life according to ancient canons. All these concepts over time became intertwined into Slavic folk customs, bringing wisdom and preserving the history of the Slavic people.
Once Morok, the God of severe cold, wandered through the villages and sent such severe frosts that the villagers, trying to protect themselves from the winter cold, prepared gifts for this God and placed them on the window. These were pancakes, kutia, cookies or jelly. Gradually, the fierce God Morok turned into a harmless old man named Saint Nicholas and himself handed out gifts. The final reincarnation of God Morok into Nicholas occurred in the 19th century. Well, in the 20th century he became Santa Claus.
The winter period among the Slavs was full of all kinds of rituals. They decorated fir trees, in which, according to legend, spirits live, thus bringing gifts to their ancestors and appeasing the spirits of nature. The New Year, like the last day of Christmastide, called Shchedrets among the Slavs, is a family ritual holiday. On this day, it is customary to visit relatives and read conspiracies for the coming year. At the same time, one could guess fate.
The cycle of winter Slavic rituals, as a rule, began with the singing of epics, thereby people remembered and glorified the past. The cycle of rituals ended with fortune telling about the future. The end of Christmastide, which we now call “Epiphany Evening,” was considered the most suitable day for asking the spirits about a happy fate and getting answers to questions asked.
Being farmers, the Slavs praised bread, for which they sang songs of praise. This usually happened at the end of January. Gold and water are integral attributes of magical winter fortune-telling, because... the sun and water provided the hardworking workers with a good and abundant harvest for the next year.
The cycle of winter Slavic holidays begins in December. The period of ritual festivities opens with Karachun, which begins on December 22. Starting from this day, the deity of death Karachun, who is also the underground God who commands frost and cold, takes power into his own hands, thereby shortening the daylight hours. Gradually, Karachun became associated with Santa Claus, who envelops the entire earth in cold and plunges it into sleep.
Following Karachun, Kolyada advanced. Kolyada was celebrated by the Slavs on December 25, the day of winter Christmastide, and lasted until January 6. As the Slavic ancestors put it, on this day the heavenly body (the sun) turned to spring. On these days, children caroled, i.e. they sang songs under the windows of rich owners, asked for money and glorified Kolyada. The carolers dressed up in comic clothes, depicting devils and animals, and walked around with bags into which they collected treats and gifts. Kolyada was considered a cheerful and desirable deity among the Slavs. This period ended with games and abundant festive feasts.
After celebrating Kolyada, the Slavs celebrated Prosinets (something like Epiphany), which occurred on January 21. Prosinets was also celebrated with the blessing of water and glorified the heavenly Svarog - the God of all Gods. Prosinets – “to shine”, i.e. revive the radiance, the sunshine. According to beliefs, on this day Surya pours down to the earth from heaven, turning the water into healing water. On this day, the Slavs bathed in the blessed waters of rivers and lakes, set lavish tables, which necessarily included dairy products.
On January 28, Velesich, in other words, Kudes, attacked. On this day it is customary to treat the Brownie. The brownie is a zealous owner, joker and helper in the family. Sometimes it happens that he plays pranks if he has something he doesn’t like. Usually the Brownie is fed sweet porridge, which is put out on a bench and said: “Master-father, accept our porridge! And eat the pies - take care of our house!”
February is just around the corner. On February 1, the Slavs celebrated Gromnitsa. This is the only day when you can hear thunder and watch a thunderstorm in winter period. This ritual day is dedicated to Dodola-Malanitsa, the wife of God Perun, the goddess of feeding children and lightning.
Gromnitsa reminds people that even in the middle of winter there is always a ray of light, a kind of ray of hope for a speedy spring. If the first of February is clear and sunny, then so will early spring. If a blizzard blows up, the onset of spring will be delayed.
Gromnitsa ends the cycle of winter Slavic ritual festivities. Next comes the spring holidays.
Friday is especially worth noting. The Slavs especially revered this day of the week. This is the sacred day of the Mother of the World. On this day, women freed themselves from household chores and took a break from household chores.
The thirteenth Friday of the year was considered a particularly important Friday. On this day, all kinds of fertility rituals were performed. Secretly from men, women performed rituals of female magic, i.e. read conspiracies for love and family happiness. Men, as a rule, competed on this day and demonstrated their physical strength.
The word “holiday” itself comes from the ancient Slavic “idle”, that is, “idleness, idleness, rest.”
At first glance, holidays do not bring any particular benefit, other than a good, cheerful rest, however, their importance should not be underestimated.
Each holiday date has its own meaning, has its purpose, and the holiday calendar seems to connect the past and the present. It is on holidays that traditions stand out especially clearly, customs emerge, and it is possible to reflect all the beauty and age-old wisdom of their ancestors, strength, character, talented creativity, respect and admiration for the beliefs and achievements of their grandfathers, veneration of nature and its phenomena.
We prepared for the holidays in advance. Long before the red date, they sewed elegant clothes, decorated them, then cooked and taught young girls to prepare festive dishes. By the way, each holiday required its own festive food. Other dishes took more than one day to prepare.
For festive festivities, songs were composed and dances were invented. Girls and young people had to show their skills not only in work, but also in dance and song. People communicated, had fun, passing on chants, games, sentences, small skits, and round dances from mouth to mouth, thereby forming a powerful layer of folk culture.
Many holidays are still well remembered and celebrated. One of these holidays is Maslenitsa.
Carnival
This holiday marked the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is called that for a reason. Maslenitsa is celebrated in the very last week before Lent. At this time it was no longer possible to eat meat, but there was no ban on dairy products yet. Therefore, the main festive dish there were pancakes that were generously poured with butter.
This holiday does not have an exact calendar day; it is calculated from Easter. The whole week was festive and each day had its own name. On Monday they celebrated a meeting, on Tuesday they arranged a flirtation, Wednesday was considered a delicacy, Thursday - a revelry, Friday was called mother-in-law's parties, and on Saturday - sister-in-law's get-togethers, Sunday was a forgiven day, or farewell.
Even before Maslenitsa, on Sunday, the father of the girl who was given as a wife came to his new relatives with treats and invited the young people to visit him.. On Maslenitsa Friday, usually young people came. By this time, the mother-in-law was preparing the most delicious dishes and treats. Of course, pancakes took pride of place. The meeting was warm, joyful, family-like, until late in the evening. The men talked about their own things, and the mother and daughter discussed their lives and existence. Hence the name - mother-in-law's party. On Saturday my sister-in-law met my relatives.
These days, the young husband had to roll his young wife down the ice slides. The ride was accompanied by fun, laughter, and kisses. There were fist fights and troika rides.
The most striking event of Maslenitsa was the burning of an effigy. The scarecrow was made in advance from straw, they were chipped in for the outfit, then they carried the straw doll around the village, and after that they took it to the field, where they burned it under the sentences “Farewell to Maslenitsa, come again next year.”
On Sunday they asked for forgiveness from all the living and even the dead. After this, it was necessary to go to the bathhouse in order to step into the bathhouse cleansed. Lent.
Palm Week
This is the sixth week of Lent. After Palm Sunday Holy Week begins.
5 days before his death, Christ entered Jerusalem, and the inhabitants met him, lining his path with the branches of a date palm, as a sign of the highest veneration. The people accepted Jesus as the greatest king. This week marks the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. There were no palm trees in Rus', so they replaced it with a willow twig. Hence the name - Palm Week.
This festival is celebrated quietly, without much fun and festivities, because Lent is not over yet. Usually, on these days, cookies or bread were baked and willow branches were placed at home..
It was believed that if you eat several willow catkins, you can protect yourself from illnesses. If a woman could not give birth, she was also given earrings of the blessed willow to eat.
On this day, everyone had to clap a willow twig to increase their health.
This is the very last week before Easter, when all the torments of the buried Christ are remembered. From Monday to Wednesday there is a liturgy, and from Thursday they begin to prepare for Easter and the most mournful days of remembrance begin.
It was believed that on Holy Thursday the sky opens and our ancestors descend to earth to stay on earth until Trinity.
The most striking custom of Holy Thursday is cleansing. People not only washed themselves in the bathhouse, but also dived into the ice hole in order to wash themselves from illnesses, illnesses and the evil eye. Dumped and burned old clothes so that the ailments would burn away along with her.
Good Friday was a day of mourning for the death of Christ.. This day imposed special prohibitions on human behavior. Games and round dances were prohibited; even speaking on such a day was necessary less. Children were not allowed to play, make noise, run or scream. The ban even applied to livestock - bells were removed from cows and sheep, and poultry was locked in a barn so as not to make noise. You could grieve and cry.
From Thursday to Saturday the church bells fell silent.
Easter means the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the oldest and Great holiday. Lent ends on Sunday. Every year this date is calculated according to the lunar-solar calendar and does not have an exact date.
The most solemn service begins at night, and then the brightest holiday is celebrated all week.
The richest dishes and treats are on the tables these days. There are meat dishes, fish, wine, and sweets. Housewives bake sweet Easter cakes and make a special dish from cottage cheese, which is prepared only once a year. Always occupied a special place painted eggs, which were a symbol of life and the sun.
These days it is customary to visit and receive guests at home. At the same time, the obligatory greeting should be Christening, that is, kissing three times with the sentence “Christ is risen” “Truly risen.”
On this day, one could ask God for anything one really wanted; it was believed that such requests would certainly be fulfilled.
There were festivities on the streets, games with rolling eggs, round dances, carousels, singing and dancing..
Trinity
Trinity is a holiday dedicated to the Holy Trinity, that is, God the Father (he is not born of and does not come from anyone), God the Son (born of God the Father) and God the Holy Spirit (he comes from God the Father). This Trinity creates the world, illuminates it and leads it.
The holiday symbolizes the fact that all the mysteries of existence are not immediately revealed to people. So God sent them first the Son and then the Holy Spirit. And the holiday itself means praising God in all three of his hypostases.
On this day, housewives decorate the house with greenery and cook holiday treat, and in the evening they go out for festivities. Young people have fun with games, songs, and round dances.
Ivan Kupala
This holiday is dedicated to the birth of John the Baptist (his other name is Kupala), and is celebrated on July 7.
It was on this day that it was customary to swim, jump over a fire and collect medicinal herbs.
They didn’t go to sleep that night, because it was believed that it was on this night that evil spirits - mermen, mermaids, kikimoras, goblins - were the most powerful and dangerous. They were dispersed by large fires, through which they jumped, expelling everything unclean from themselves, and then bathed, because the water took on magical effect. On this night, the youth chose a mate. Wreaths were woven, and then the wreath was laid on the head of the beloved. The couple held hands and jumped over the fire together. It was believed that if the hands did not open, there would be a wedding. They looked - whose couple jumps higher, they will live happier. There was fun all night, round dances were held, songs were sung.
At dawn we washed ourselves with dew.
Celebrated on August 1(14). The name "savior" comes from the abbreviation "savior". Honey spas means the beginning of honey collection.
On this day, honey and honeycombs were illuminated. Housewives baked honey gingerbreads, honey cakes, and prepared kvass with honey.
All this had to be not only illuminated, but also served as a treat for the poor and sick. People who had an apiary and did not treat others with their honey were considered dishonest.
This holiday means the transformation of nature, the onset of autumn, celebrated on August 6 (9). Until this day, eating apples was not allowed, but in Yablochny Spas, on the contrary, they prepared apple dishes– baked pies with apples, jelly, and jam. On this day, they treated orphans, the poor, and all their loved ones with apples, and only then ate them themselves. Many people carried apples to church and cemetery.
There are many of them. And this is connected with amazing story our state, which is many, many centuries old. Some scientists count thirteen of them and date back to the reign of the Varangian Rurik. Officially, the 1153rd anniversary of Russia was celebrated in 2015. And the first mention of Rus' was discovered in chronicles dating back to 862. By the way, “Russia” is not original Russian name: the Greeks named our ancient state. And somehow it naturally stuck with us. What is it Ancient Rus'? In addition to the main thing - powers, these are customs, traditions, beliefs and the like, which have developed over centuries and have taken root with us, even if against the backdrop of modernity they look archaic, divorced from reality, stuffed to the gills with technologies on a cosmic scale that our ancestors never dreamed of. .
Official holidays, state holidays
Of course, in Mother Russia they come first. And there are more than three hundred of them. To paraphrase the great Gogol, we can say: “Which Russian doesn’t like good holidays?!” Among the popular and beloved state ones are International Day, May Day, and so on and so on in order. A few years ago they added . And although it does not have official or state status, the holiday is declared a day off.
And how much do we have professional holidays! Let's start with peaceful professions - Dentist Day, Russian Science Day, Transport Police Day, Cosmonautics Day, Geodesy and Cartography Workers Day. Let's continue - related to military historical and memorable events - Day Navy, Engineering Troops Day, Tankman Day, Rocket Forces and Artillery Day, Day of the defeat of Nazi troops by Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad (1943), Military Glory Day - the list goes on. And there are, although purely professional, widely celebrated by the population - Day of Agricultural Workers, Day of Trade Workers, Day of Workers of Consumer Services and Housing and Communal Services - and the list goes on. There are 365 days in a year on the planet, in a leap year there are a day more, 366. And almost every day we celebrate something, celebrate something. This is how it happened in Russia!
National holidays stand apart
And so they, as races, are closely connected with faith (religion), customs and traditions. Let's take Easter for example. During the Soviet era, especially for communists and Komsomol members, celebrating it was not only not recommended, but strictly forbidden! "Religion is the opium of the people!" This expression, which later became popular, was first uttered by the English socialist Charles Kingsley (1819 - 1875). Then it was actively used by Lenin in the fight against religion. The result was that churches and temples were destroyed, and clergy were persecuted for their faith in God. It got to the point that the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was blown up in Moscow. But hard times passed and it was restored, including with money raised by the people. And Easter has now become one of the most beloved national holidays and is celebrated widely, as in the old days - they paint eggs, bake Easter cakes, greet each other: “Christ is Risen” and answer: “Truly He is Risen!” Easter treats are illuminated in the church and generously distributed to relatives, friends, orphans, and the poor. This is the custom.
The custom of celebrating the Old New Year has also taken root in Russia. All over the world people are very surprised by this. And for Russians, this is another reason to meet for festive table, once again celebrate the onset of the New Year, enjoy watching Eldar Ryazanov’s favorite sparkling comedy “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”, and for some, “Blue Light” - and you never know entertainment programs shown on Russian television during the Old New Year! The origin of this popular holiday is explained by the thirteen-day discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The latter is used throughout the world. This is where the “old style” came from. According to him, on January 13, we and many other countries celebrate the Old New Year. As, indeed, a little later - New Year's Day eastern calendar, which falls on the night of January 27-28.
Among the popular holidays are Trinity, Holy Week, Apple Day, Maslenitsa, Palm Week, Intercession Day, Clean Monday, Elijah's Day, Christmastide, Epiphany Christmas Eve, Peter and Fevronia Day, Epiphany and others. Let's look at some of them in more detail.
